JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is declaring a “war on the education sector” and threatening to shut down the “Bnei Yosef” and “Independent Education” networks. He stated: “We will dismantle a state within a state.”

Bennett, leader of the “Yachad” movement together with Yair Lapid, announced that if he returns to the Prime Minister’s Office, he will act to shut down all Haredi education networks such as “Bnei Yosef” and the “Independent Education” system.

He claimed that “a separate, anti-Zionist charedi state has been created right under our noses, and we are funding it from our own pockets.”

Bennett presented his education plan titled “From Tribes to One Nation”, aimed at establishing a unified education system in Israel. As part of the plan, he said state funding for sectoral and independent education systems would be stopped immediately.

Speaking at the Elie Hurvitz Conference for Economy and Society at the Israel Democracy Institute, Bennett criticized the charedi education system, saying:“A charedi state has been created under our noses, an independent, anti-Zionist state inside Israel. And we are financing it ourselves.”

He added:“In the next government, we will fix the historic mistake of creating separate education systems that created separate states.”

He also clarified:“I am not only referring to the charedi sector, this is also true for schools in the Negev that do not teach Hebrew and employ Palestinian teachers. The principle is simple: no state education, no state funding.”

Bennett’s plan proposes that at least 60% of the curriculum in all schools will be dedicated to core subjects: Hebrew, English, mathematics, Bible, civics, and Zionism. The remaining hours would allow schools to expand their curriculum freely.

He concluded: “We will dismantle the state within a state and create here one Jewish, democratic, prosperous, and strong state. I am telling you, it is possible. And it will happen soon.”